Massimiliano Allegri, the AC Milan head coach, spoke to the media in a press conference ahead of the friendly match against Liverpool in Hong Kong tomorrow. Here are his words:
"Tomorrow we face Liverpool, the champions of England, who have won both the league and the Champions League. It's an important test, and we need to put in a better performance than we did against Arsenal. Against the Gunners, we played a good defensive match and had offensive chances that we didn’t capitalize on, but for now, that’s okay. This tour is very important for us to get to know each other and be ready for the start of Serie A."
Are you envious of coach Arne Slot regarding the transfer market?
"I'm not, because the club is doing a good job in the market. Estupiñán has arrived, and he’ll be important for us. Now we need to find other good and suitable players for our squad."
Will Rafael Leao continue to play as a center-forward?
"I liked him against Arsenal—both him and the rest of the team. We played a good match from a defensive standpoint and could have been more clinical in front of goal, but we created some chances."
What are you hoping for from this pre-season? Allegri said:
"We hope to become a real team as quickly as possible. The boys are eager to work, and that’s very important. First of all, we need to get to know each other, and then improve day by day in training."
Are you looking forward to working with Luka Modrić?
"He’s a champion and an extraordinary player technically. He’ll be an example for everyone, both on and off the pitch."
You’ve already been to Hong Kong with Juventus…
"We played in the same stadium where we're training today, while tomorrow we'll be in the new one. I have good memories of this city. I know there are many Milan fans here, and we want to give our best to make them happy."
